Particulate cargo containers, especially road salt/sand spreaders, are usually mounted on the beds of large trucks. These spreaders generally cover the entire truck bed, or at least render the truck bed unavailable for other uses. The truck is thus restricted to applying salt to roadways when the spreader is mounted thereon. While applying salt to roadways is an important function during inclimate periods of the winter months, leaving the spreader on the truck during good weather periods of the winter months idles the truck for other purposes, which is a significant waste of resources. It is desirable to remove the spreader from the truck during good weather periods of the winter months and the nonwinter months, and particularly when the spreader is not in use. Large hydraulically powered lifts, for example front end loaders, may be used to place the spreader in the truck bed. However, hydraulic lifts introduce further drawbacks due to their complexity, expense, and the extensive maintenance required to ensure that a hydraulic lift remains operational. Electric motors may also be used as lifts. If an electric lift is relied on during the winter months, it may not have a reliable electric power source due to storm activity. Conventional lifts remove the spreader from a truck and then lower the spreader to the ground. When the spreader is placed back onto the truck, the lift must be available to lift the spreader from the ground to effect placement of the spreader back onto the truck.
The use of conventional lifts may also require an operator to climb up onto at least the truck bed, and possibly into the spreader itself to secure the spreader to the hydraulic or electric lift, for example to attach a chain from the lift to the spreader. Climbing onto equipment is a safety hazard to the user. The operator must also be trained in the operation of the lift in addition to the operation on the truck and spreader. Additionally, in the case of a front end loader being the lift, the front end loader must remain at the site with the spreader so that it is available when the spreader is to be mounted on the truck.
Conventional methods for removal of a spreader from a truck usually adapt a conventional lift, designed for other purposes, to remove and replace the spreader on the truck. Conventional methods require the purchase of additional heavy equipment and training in how to operate the heavy equipment.
It is an object of this invention to provide a particulate cargo container support apparatus which is relatively inexpensive and simply relies on the motive force applied to the truck bed by devices on the truck to remove the particulate cargo container therefrom, in addition to addressing the drawbacks of the conventional lifts.
It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved method for removing a particulate cargo container from a truck bed and supporting the same utilizing the motive force of the devices on the truck for raising and lowering the truck bed.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a particulate cargo container support apparatus which is operable by a single person.